The go-to look

I've always been a huge fan of gold/bronze/orange/peach...basically warm make-up looks. They really compliment my skin tone, hair and eye colour. I remember seeing Indianwood Paint Pot in a MAC store a few years ago and falling in love, haha! It has been a staple eye shadow since.
If you've got warm undertones, this look would perfectly for you... from light skin to very dark. It is simply Indianwood Paintpot(MAC) blended across the lid and crease with your finger, a dusting of Woodwinked Eyeshadow (MAC) over the top and on the lower lashline to set the cream shadow and intensify the colour slightly. Next you can use any brown liner, I opted for Teddy Kohl (MAC) today, and smudge it along the upper lashline and waterline. Apply lashings of mascara and you are good to go. Your eyes will pop! The great thing is this is an any time of day/any place you're going kind of look... balanced somewhere between dramatic and subtly accentuating.

Mega Love xx

The Power Bullet

When my confidence is lacking or I've woken up on the wrong side of the bed, I decide to go with red lipstick to make me feel like a million dollars :)! Casual modern powersuit:


Cardigan and Trousers - New Look
Mega Love xx

My Favourite Concealer

If I'm in a hurry and can only do the bare minimum make-up wise in the morning, my three must haves are concealer, cheek tint and mascara. I'm very lucky that I have pretty good skin, but as a Uni student I definitely don't always keep it in tip-top shape with late nights either working or partying! One absolute saviour for those dark circles and the odd blemish or two is Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer.



I had been using MAC Select Cover Up in NC30 for about a year and a half, but ran out of a tube and decided to try this as I had heard many good things about it. On a routine shop in Boots I picked one up in the shade 'medium' (after blending into my jawline to check it matched me, something many people don't do when they are shade-testing a foundation or concealer - your hands are not the same colour as your face!). It can be found here for a pretty scrumptious £4.19 (much cheaper than MAC Select Cover Up at £13.50!).

Don't get me wrong, Select Cover Up is a great concealer and lasts forever, but it just wasn't thick enough to really cover dark circles or blemishes. I was actually mesmerised by the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection's ability to literally cover up anything, flawlessly! In the picture above you can barely see my dark circles or any blemishes (there has been no photoshopping ;)!) and the shade is perfect for my skin. I float between a MAC NW25 and NC30, but this is smack bang in the middle.

If you're stuck and haven't a clue which concealer to go for, this all-round gem is worth picking up if it is available where you live - you wont be disappointed!

Mega Love xx

For All Enviro-conscious Beauties!

A couple years ago I purchased two of the TIGI Love, Peace & the Planet haircare products from some beauty website that was having a sale. I'm environmentally conscious, and these claim to be a bit more environmentally friendly than your standard haircare products by containing organic ingredients in a 50% post-consumer recycled bottle, as well as lacking in:
  1. Parabens
  2. Artificial Colours
  3. Synthetic Fragrances
OK, so they're not completely natural or anything, but if that doesn't bother you, the products themselves work amazingly, and I was so impressed by the first two that I explored the range a bit further.


1. TOTALLY BEACHIN Coconut Vanilla Body & Waves Styling Mist (177ml): This is basically the same as any surf spray, but smells wonderful! And instead of your standard salt spray which really can dry out the hair, this one contains kelp and coconut water to lock in moisture whilst pineapple and sea salt add that tousled texture. (If you like the cult Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray, or have been wanting to try it, give this a shot, I much prefer it...your hair wont look quite so greasy!)

2. LET IT BE Cherry Almong Leave-in Conditioner (250ml): This does wonders at detangling knotted hair, leaving your locks smelling great and shining away throughout the day.

3.SAVE THE EARTH Cinnamon Soy Orange Straightener & Defrizzer (250ml): Aloe vera, olive oil and wheat amino acids act as a heat and UV protectant and tame those flyaways during blow-drying.

4. FREE UR MIND Cherry Almond Firm Hold Hairspray (250ml): I was searching for a non-aerosol hairspray and this one jumped out at me. The hold is fantastic and I can keep a faux-hawk in place all day and night and it smells like amaretto and cherry coke. You must, must try!

THE BEST BIT is that they really are at the lower-end of the high-end product price spectrum! The first two I ordered from online, but about a year later spotted the other two in TK Maxx at around £5 each (hence the badly-torn-off sticker on the 'Save The Earth' bottle!). You really should look at the beauty section in your local TK Maxx when you have time, they have some amazing finds!

Mega Love xx

January Carmine Beauty Box

So I think I am just going to accept that Carmine are an awesome company! Every month since October I have been overjoyed with the contents of their monthly beauty box, and January was no exception.


So this month was a really interesting little combination.
1. WESTLAB Himalayan Pink Salt: This beaming sachet of bath salt comes straight from the Himalayan moutains, claiming to detoxify your skin in a 30-minute soak as well as a 3-day fast would! I don't know about you, but I was shocked when I read that! Along with the product, which I am most excited to try, is a discount code for 30% off some of their products.

2. ELDORA B158 False Eyelashes: This gorgeous pair of handmade, re-usable lashes comes with adhesive included, and really are the perfect shape for glamorous definition on a big night out! I have only recently started experimenting with false lashes, so was over the moon to see this stunning pair!
3. EYEKO Fat Eye Stick in 'Petrol Blue' (4g): This is a full-sized, creamy colour that will work wonders at creating a coloured smoky-eye, I can tell already! It is easily blendable and glossy, but with a lasting effect; I absolutely adore it!

4. BALANCE ME Radiance Face Oil: This Luxury 5ml sample claims to make your skin literally glow! It is to be applied either day or night before moisturiser, to deeply replenish your skin.
5. KORRES Wild Rose 24-hr moisturiser: This travel-sized sample of 10ml boosts an SPF of 6, contains organic, wild rose to brighten and repair your complexion, and provides 24-hr hydration too! I think I will keep this little baby handy for my travels! I have always wanted to try products from Korres, but have never got round to it/had easy access. This just highlights one of the wonderful things about signing up to a service such as Carmine - you get wonderful little surprises just like this one! In addition, there is also a £5.00 off voucher for every £25.00+ purchase with Korres included in the box!
So yes, just to reiterate, the box this month was a gem! If you're not already signed up, I highly recommend it :)

Mega Love xx

Smells so good you'll wanna eat it!

I find LUSH to be one of those shops that you either love or loathe. My boyfriend claims the place gives him a headache just walking past, whereas others could literally set up camp in there and happily inhale the inviting aroma.

I've been using their products for years and wanted to give praise today to my favourite body lotion in the world.

Vanilla Dee-Lite Body Lotion is a 'Delightfully soothing, creamily smoothing, vanilla scented lotion for your body and hands. With natural coconut and illipe butters and vitamin-packed, fresh kiwi fruit.'

At £11.75, this definitely is not the cheapest of lotions, but once you start, you cannot stop using it! The very strong vanilla scent (and not the nasty artificial kind) hits you every time you use it, and lasts for over 24 hours on the skin. If I shower in the AM and apply, the next morning when I get in the shower I can smell it rubbing off! It is wonderfully calming on any red, dry, waxed or irritated skin, which I think is a trait that many find surprising. Generally these days, if a product has a strong scent to it, those with sensitive skin tend to stay away thinking it will only make matters worse, but LUSH products include natural scents, not the artificial perfume that causes all sorts of issues!

This beautiful lotion is easily absorbed but thoroughly moisturising, a rare trait I find, thus can be used all year round! It lingers on the skin, and is perfect for those that don't like to wear perfume, but want smell wonderful with their lotion. Even if you don't want to shell out for it, please just do me a favour and go take a whiff next time you pass a LUSH store :), it'll make my day!

Mega Love xx

My Favourite Mascara

Below is a big ol' scary shot of my eye, wearing a little bit of shadow on the lid etc. but I want you to focus mainly on my lashes...
Not bad, huh? My lashes look pretty well fanned out and long, with just the right amount of volume in there. Now, to put this into perspective, below is my eye with no make-up...
Can you see how pin-straight and short my lashes are?! Ahhh!

My mascara of choice is Boots No7 Exceptional Definition nutrient enriched mascara. I first tried this out when it came out about 2 years ago, and have repurchased every 3 months since. It is literally perfect for what I want: defined, long lashes with volume and seperation. The wand is very similar to Benefit's They're Real, but better in my opinion...it consists of a rubberised material with a fine-toothed comb one side for length and seperation, and thicker teeth the other side for volume. The end of the wand also has a ball with a comb on it, aimed at coating the smallest of lashes on the inner and outer corners, but I find this clumps up a little bit with excess product, so if you want to use it, you have to be gentle or dab off a bit of product.

So, the way I use this is by combing through my lashes with the lengthening side to seperate and..um.. lengthen. Next up I use the volumising side, wiggling at the roots and combing through to produce thicker, darker lashes that really stand out!

At £12.50 this is a bit more costly than your average high street/drugstore mascara, but with a £5 off voucher that Boots dish out several times a year, this baby is a real winning purchase! I recommend it to everyone :). And for those of you that shy away from black, they do a brown too!

Mega Love xx

Casual in the Alley



Haven't posted an OOTD in a while; time for that to change! This is a typical drizzly day combo for me...Don't care hair that will get ruined in the rain anyway, and a snuggly sweater :-)

Oversized Sweater - Zara
Bag - Vintage
Boots - Firetrap

Voila!

Mega Love xx

Product Review: Tweezerman Deluxe Eyelash Curler

An eyelash curler is a funny thing, a funny love-hate thing. Some people think that it looks like a weapon of mass lash destruction, others cannot go anywhere without it. I fall into the latter category, but only as of about a year and a half ago. Before then, I was always scared that I would rip my eyelashes out or somehow blind myself if I used one, but suffering from pin straight lashes and desiring the oh-so-feminine curl, I decided to go ahead and try one out. I went for the No.7 one when I was shopping in Boots one day; I had a £5 off voucher so thing only cost me about £2.50 I believe.

The difference it gave me lashes was fantastic!........For a while. It, like most other lash curlers comes with one of those foamy pads that with time and use weaken at the point where it presses against the top metal plate as you curl your lashes, causing a tear to occur, and subsequently every time you curl your lashes they get stuck in that gap and instead of a pretty curl, look creased. Blegh! Those pads also aren't the easiest things to clean...hello bad hygiene near sensitive eye region!

So I had been thinking about purchasing a new one, but didn't really know where to look as most I had seen had the same foamy pad, then whilst also in boots I glimpsed the Tweezerman curler! *Angelic 'ahhhhhh'* I adore my Tweezerman tweezers, so took a closer look. For £14 you get a sturdy metal curler with non-stick, thick silicone pads...yes, pads! Not just the one on the curler, but and additional 3 to last you for many, many years! I knew I should give this one a chance, and the next morning whilst I was putting on my make-up I gave this a try. It feels quite different to other curlers, in that as you clamp down on your lashes, there is very little of that 'spongy' feeling, but the result is the best curl to my lashes that I have ever seen, no way of tearing the pad, and an easy-to-clean surface.



Overall these are absolutely fantastic, and I would recommend them to anyone sick of lash creasing. They are a bit costly compared to cheaper curlers, but if you consider the fact that these will probably last you a lifetime, you cannot go wrong!

Mega Love xx

BRAND RAVE: CAUDALIE

I have been thoroughly impressed by two fantastic products recently and just had to share my thoughts!

I was running low on my Organic Surge Daily Cleanser, so had a little look on Feel Unique
and decided I would purchase the Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser to wash my face with in the morning, and the Cleansing Water to cleanse and remove makeup on 'can't be bothered' nights. (To clarify: 'can't be bothered' either means I am really ill and don't want cold water near my face, or it's been a big night out, and I want something I can use whilst I'm lying in bed - haha! In general I'll use a cleansing wipe and then my LUSH Angels on Bare Skin Exfoliator.)

Firstly, the Instant Foaming Cleanser:

This baby leaves my skin feeling wonderfully clean, moisturised and calm for the day. I use it in the shower in the mornings, and find it works perfectly to remove any oily grime that may have accummulated whilst I was asleep, and leaves my face refreshed.

Secondly, the Cleansing Water:



This is a micellar cleansing water, working in the same way as the famous Bioderma waters; the product contains micelles which act to eat up all the make-up and dirt on your face, leaving it perfectly clean. You do not have to use an additional cleanser after this, although if you were wearing very heavy make-up or had an intense workout at the gym, of course there is no harm in doing so if you want to be extra certain :).


After trying out the Caudalie Vinosource Quenching Sorbet-Creme in a previous Carmine Box and being incredibly impressed, I thought Caudalie might be a brand worth exploring, and boy was I right! They contain no artificial nasties, are wonderful quality and do exactly what they say, leaving skin looking dreamy. I thoroughly recommend both of the above products, as well as the face cream I have just mentioned - all beauties!

Let me know how you feel about Caudalie products!

Mega Love xx

December Carmine Beauty Box

I realise this is a tad late, but I wasn't here over Christmas...missed my parcel...had to wait for redelivery etc. I'm sure you understand :).

Once again, Carmine have truly outdone themselves. Each box keeps getting better and better, and this one truly is exceptional in terms of quality and value!


1. WELEDA Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash (204g): This full-sized natural body wash smells divine and moisturises the skin like nobody's business! I am a big fan of Weleda products, thus was very pleased to open up my box and see this :D! Contains no parabens, sulphates or petrochemicals - glorious!
 2. KMS CALIFORNIA Free Shape Quick Blow Dry Spray (30ml): This luxury sample claims to cut the time of blow-drying by 50% whilst also offering conditioning properties to the hair. I have not tried this product before, but love KMS as a brand, and am looking forward to giving it a try!

3.MY FACE Blingtone Eyeshadow in 'silver screen: I'm not sure how many grams are in this eyeshadow, but it is full-sized and in really lovely packaging. It is a very glittery eyeshadow that I will definitely be rocking on an upcomming big night out. The silver pigmentation is slightly lacking, but if you are looking for a shadow with very fine glitter (like a MAC Reflects Pigment) then this is a fab option!

4.  TIME TECHNOLOGY Creme (10ml): This luxury sample claims to be a miracle cream for skin of all ages, giving the skin an instant glow as well as deep moisturisation. Sounds a dream! I think this will be useful for travelling.
5. JAPONESQUE Smudger Brush: I was so excited to catch a glimpse at this little beauty in my box! I have heard only wonderful things about Japonesque brushes, but have yet to try one. This travel-sized smudger brush boosts short, dense hairs that work wonders at smoking out the lashline! Such a great little tool to have in my kit!

So instead of 5, we got 6 treats this month. The last little gem is a voucher for one free brow threading at any Benito Brow Bar in the coutry. They are found in many major cities, and claim to offer perfect shaping in very little time! I don't need to thread my brows, nor do I have a Benito Bar near me, but a good friend of mine will definitely be making good use of this!


So overall? This was such a great box, with amazing products, most of which I would genuinely repurchase! If you are considering signing up to Carmine, I would say: don't hesitate! Month after month...box after box... you are receiving incredible value for money, and it opens your eyes to products you may normally not have tried before!

Mega Love xx

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

Now if I'm having a relatively good skin day, I simply choose to slap on the Origins Vita-zing as my single form of 'coverage', perhaps with a tad of concealer under the eyes if its been a late night. But there are times when I want that extra boost, that extra-perfect look to my skin, so liquid foundation comes into play. For about a year now I have been using the Bourjois 10-Hour Sleep Effect, and it has been fantastic, but I thought as my bottle had emptied I would try one of the other raved-about Bourjois foundations: Healthy Mix Serum. This is a new, alternative version of the original Healthy Mix, and is more of a gel-like formula, claiming to boost radiance for up to 16hrs, and creating an 'even, revived complexion' and contains vitamin-rich lychee, goji berries and pomegranate.


At £10.99, this isn't the cheapest highstreet/drugstore foundation, but considering I would have placed the last Bourjois foundation I used on a par with all the high end counterparts out there, I thought that this would be worth the dosh. And boy was I not wrong! This foundation applies like a dream, the pigmentation is light-medium but buildable, has a slightly dewy finish, would work on skin types ranging from oily to dry, and the colour pulls neither too pink or yellow - perfection?! My one complaint applies to all the Bourjois foundations unfortunately, and that is that although the shades they do sell are neutral, the range is rather limited and many skintones must surely have to go without.

Below are photos of me without any foundation, with just foundation, and then the entire look:



(I think its rather funny how I smile a little bit more in each photo haha!)

Overall the wear is amazing! I haven't yet had to wear it for the full 16 hours, but after 12 it still looks and feels great; no grease, no caking or creasing, and my skin still looks glowing. Definitely worth it!

Mega Love xx